Our History

With a particular focus on the African American and minority cultural heritage in east Austin, Capitol View Arts supports the arts community through arts education, collaborative opportunities, and the preservation of venues for performances and public use.

Capitol View Arts is committed to:
• Building a positive environment in which artists can work that encourages collaboration, diversity, and cultural awareness.
• Offering support for art entrepreneurs in their economic and creative pursuits.
• Promoting community participation in the arts.

Capitol View Arts offers educational, mentoring, and networking programming for artists that provides valuable skills and connections to manage and monetize their careers. Program content is business, management, and technical based instruction to further assist artists in career pursuits. Programs are marketed to all central Texas, with special emphasis placed on east Austin residents and minorities.

The Urban Austin program provides select artists the opportunity to work together to create opportunity and represent Capitol View Arts at the Cutting Edge Music Conference and at other special events throughout the year. Participants are selected by an application process.

Black History Month comprehensive programming offers the community the chance to learn more about African American artists, social justice issues, and current events concerning the African American and east Austin communities.

Since the beginning of year round programming in May 2011, Capitol View Arts has offered:

• 124 public events aimed to spotlight east Austin and minority art. Events included transforming the Victory Grill into an art gallery featuring works of minority artists during the East Austin Studio Tour, free showcases at night during the East Austin Studio Tour, musical showcases featuring Gospel, R&B, Blues, Jazz, and Hip Hop during Black History Month, a musical performance for the opening of the African American Cultural Heritage Facility, community concerts for east Austin neighborhoods and schools, and performances at Austin’s FanFest during the F1 race. Attendance for public events is over 10,000.

• 70 educational and career building opportunities for 1,800 participants. Specialized content included music copyright, starting a business or nonprofit in the arts, live performance tips, successful networking at conferences and festivals, online fundraising, and a mentoring/networking event with special guests who have donated time and contributed to the local hip hop community.

• 45 musical acts the opportunity to travel to the Cutting Edge Music Conference in New Orleans. 125 artists and support personnel, of which 105 represented a minority contingent, performed at multiple venues and attended the educational workshops and seminars. In addition, during May16, CVA artists traveled to St. Louis and in May 2016, CVA artists traveled to Chicago to make contacts and advance career opportunities and Oct 2016 CVA artist travelled to Atlanta